030: LAURA STOLOFF
lives in classic tailoring and scarves.
If you’ve been floating in the fashion ether this week, you’ve probably already spent some time, or even some money, on Phoebe Philo’s long-awaited comeback collection. It debuted on Tuesday with an understated email announcement. I didn’t anticipate making purchases on the launch day. I’m not spending thousands on singular clothing items (though I do like that energy for myself, and all of you) and I do not like shopping from “drops.” Rushing and buying for fear that something will sell out has never led to wise decisions for me and honestly, I find the whole scarcity/hype model a bit manipulative. But, I was interested in seeing the collection and its imagery because I have always been very attracted to the woman that Phoebe proposes.
For me, Phoebe’s woman has a perverse sex appeal, not stemming from her appearance but from her strength and self-possession. She is bold yet quiet, communicating through codes that only the initiated, often other women, will understand. I’ve missed this soft assuredness. Many have been trying to recreate it for the better part of a decade. Phoebe’s first drop didn’t shift-paradigms for me, as I hoped it would, but I caught wind of her woman on Tuesday. I am interested in seeing what she does next.
In other, more realistic, shopping news (and perhaps on the low end of the high-low spectrum), I bought these Pearl River Mart flats from Lilli’s letter last week and I’m excited to wear them out of the house this evening. They were $10.50! I also bought a pair in flax for $9 more. I was on set with Garance Doré (who happens to be my former employer) this week, and she was wearing this pair from Zara. Another on-set discovery - this field jacket from Alex Mill. I saw it on the beautiful Selena Ayala. It looked very good and like a possible answer to my Prada/Miu Miu jacket puzzle. Maybe I’ll try it?
For this week’s feature, I spoke to Laura Stoloff - an impeccably chic fashion consultant and stylist. Laura lives and works between London, New York, and her home in the English countryside, and her constant travel has encouraged her to edit to her timeless wardrobe to a precise degree. She never looks harried or like she just got off a plane. I asked her to tell me her secrets.
A lightly edited excerpt from our conversation is below. Many of Laura’s product recommendations throughout are linked to very similar styles.
LS: I would say my personal style is very rooted in classics. I really don't like to spend my creativity on what I wear. I know that sounds so boring but for my job, I'm consulting and I'm styling and I just want something that's functional. The most important thing for me is how I feel in my clothes. I want to feel put together. I want to feel polished, I want to feel modern. For me, it's like armor to feel a certain way, less to express creativity.
I’m rooted in classics, but always with a modern element. And functionality is super important for me because I travel a lot. Basically my entire wardrobe, not literally my entire wardrobe, but most of my wardrobe, is one suitcase. That's just how I live and travel. So everything has to go together and everything has to be able to be mixed and matched.
CH: That's very impressive. The one suitcase - is it a big suitcase? Is it a carry-on? Is it a check?
LS: It's a big, big suitcase. I mean, of course I have evening stuff, but I would say the wardrobe that I wear 90% of the time would fit in a suitcase.
CH: That's so crazy. I could never do that. So, what goes into that big suitcase?
LS: I would say the pieces that I invest in, the showcase pieces, are always tailoring. I really invest in trousers. This year I bought a charcoal wool Maria McManus trouser that I'm obsessed with. Blazers in every style. I have six black blazers. I have an oversized, more fluid, double breasted one from The Row (similar here). I have a leather blazer from Proenza. I have a vintage Ralph Lauren Blazer that's more fitted. And then coats. I have a black, oversized Nili Lotan trench coat, and a camel Toteme trench coat. And then I have an evening coat from Dries Van Noten, which is kind of like a men's oversized blazer coat, and a By Malene Birger wool wrap coat for winter.
And then I bring in scarves and stuff. I'm big on scarves. I have to send you the brand - Amanda Brooks carries them at her store (ed note: Moismont is the brand), but I bought them at Merci in Paris. They're this French brand that makes wool bandana scarves. I'll wear that in the country or in the city. And then I have Hermes scarves. I have a Celine silk scarf in cream. I try to bring in color, not really color, but different textures through scarves.
Also in the suitcase is denim, but I'm really edited. I have that light pair of Levi's that I love, and then FEEL denim is my favorite.
CH: Yeah, I love those too.
LS: I have an oversized dark denim style. And then I have a vintage Levi’s black jean, and I just bring those three around. So jeans, blazers, and then all my basics.
I do not spend a lot of money on basics. I buy Cos and Arket t-shirts in bulk - long sleeve short sleeve, different colors like black, white, stripes. I travel with those. And some blouses for evening. I just bought a big, oversized scarf blouse from The Row at the sample sale in black. I can wear that with trousers or jeans for evening. And then the other thing I have in there right now that I'm loving is an oversized black turtleneck dress.
CH: Where's that from?
LS: I love it. It’s from Allude. I bought it big. I always go big.
CH: With everything?
LS: With most things. With trousers, I typically buy bigger. For Maria McManus, I go up a size. In the Nili Lotan trench I bought a large, but they run small. The Row, no because it runs big. But yeah, I tend to size up on things.
CH: And what about shoes? I always find it hard with traveling - I want to pack 10 pairs of shoes. You have to be smart about what you bring.
LS: I know. I mean, I am probably so boring. My go-to every day is a black loafer from The Row that I'm obsessed with. It has a bigger, rounded toe. It's a little more masculine, which I love. I wear that pretty much all the time. And then I have the Khaite heeled boot, the one where the heel curves. That's my evening boot. I've worn those for four years. Everything I buy, I wear for at least five years.
CH: That's great. That's how it should be.
LS: Then I have these Aeyde flats, I wear those for day or evening. Oh, and then I have a Row combat boot. This is so crazy but I bought two in the same size when they came out. I loved them so much. I was like, if they don't make these again, I'll be heartbroken. It’s an almond toe, it’s the best toe. That's what I wear all winter. That's the only boot I wear.
CH: It’s funny that you said you bought two because sometimes I feel like if I wear something a lot, I start to get stressed that it's going to break or whatever. Do you buy multiples of things since you're wearing the same things so often?
LS: No, no. I'm very considerate about how I spend my money. I mean, if I could, I'd go into The Row and buy sweaters for each place I live in, but for now…
CH: You bring it with you.
LS: Yeah, I bring it with me. And then for other shoes, I have a Toteme sneaker that I like. The sneaker that I wore all summer that I love is Asahi. They’re Japanese, they sell them at Officine Generale. They're the Lauren Hutton white sneaker.
CH: Chic. Are country-you and city-you the same? Do you wear the same things?
LS: For the most part. I just wear jeans and sweaters out there. I do wear a lot of corduroys in the country. I bought a beautiful, chocolate brown Dries Van Noten corduroy in Paris that I'm loving. That’s new in my rotation. And Crockett and Jones are my favorite English boots. They could be chic in a city too. They're lace-up, brown, really beautiful leather. One thing I do change in the country is that I don’t wear a lot of black. Its kind of an unwritten rule there - no one wears black in the English countryside.
LAURA’S MOST WORN:
Tailored trousers.
Toteme $510, Loulou Studio $330, Cos $175, Maria McManus $720 Lots of black blazers. I went a bit nuts on these. Some retail and vintage resale options for you below.
Helmut Lang $550$330, Deadwood $350, Frame $1500, The Row $2091, Ralph Lauren $345, Vince $437
Dolce & Gabbana $225, Gucci $245$172, Gucci $275, Complice $95, Prada $247Classic outerwear.
Nili Lotan $995, Cos $285, Toteme $1150, Staud $595, By Malene Birger $765, Dries Van Noten $1750 Scarves.
Basic tees.
Denim.
Feel Studio $425, so many vintage options from Holdwest on Etsy - here’s a light option for $102 and black for $56 Sweater dresses.
Boots, loafers, and sneakers.
loafers from The Row (top) $1250 and Emme Parsons $496, heeled boots from Staud $395 and Khaite $950, sneakers from Asahi $165. Laura was smart to buy 2 combat boots from The Row because they did in fact stop making them. There are a few pairs left here for $1229, and this is the newer version for $1390, Theory makes a nice comp for $455 and I found this pair in size 40 for $700 on The RealReal Country corduroys and boots.
Agolde $250, Dries Van Noten $695, Alex Mill $155, Doen $298 
Crockett and Jones $820
Thanks for reading this week! Until next Thursday. xx
“buying for fear that something will sell out” is why I have a love/hate relationship with TRR. The “your obsessions are on sale” email floods me with dread that I need to purchase an item even if I’m not “ready.” As someone who is a serial purchase/returner, it’s not a fun habit.